


Holding It Together

by fififolle



Category: Primeval
Genre: Blood and Injury, Caves, Fire, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, POV First Person, Pain, Raptors, Trapped, Trope Bingo Round 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-28
Updated: 2013-08-28
Packaged: 2017-12-24 23:02:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/945726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fififolle/pseuds/fififolle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I wrote this for the birthday of stealingpennies. <br/>This also fits my DW trope_bingo prompt: hurt/comfort.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Holding It Together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StealingPennies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StealingPennies/gifts).



~

I opened my eyes, and the painful world came into a foggy focus, at least it did for one side of my vision. I knew instantly not to move, though it took every ounce of my military training to keep still. I could feel a lot of things – mainly my leg, and in my mind, that was a good thing, indicating at least the thing was still there – but the strongest sense was fear. And this Special Forces captain's instinct was to get the fuck up, move, move, move – and fight if I had to.

But there was no way on this earth I could move. The last time I had seen my leg, it had been ripped open down to the bone by a raptor's claw, or felt like. There was enough blood and flesh falling out of the wound to make bacon and black pudding. All I needed was an egg and a sodding tomato to make a full English, Tom Ryan style.

I could still feel my leg, but only the pain. There wasn't the throb and heat of infection and I was bloody glad for that, believe me. The memories of what happened weren't pleasant, but it was better than not having a fucking clue who I even was.

From where I lay, nearly face down, I quickly scanned the surroundings of the cave – and how the fuck did he get me in here? - and let my eyes settle gratefully on Connor Temple. The lad was poking morosely with a stick at the fire near the mouth of the cave. His long hair fell lankly over one side of his face, leaving his dark eyes in shadow, but I could see his worried mouth clearly.

I would have died if it hadn't been for him.

After the raptor had shredded me, my hands had been weak with the pain of the wound, and I couldn't pull the tourniquet of my belt quite tight enough around my thigh. I'd yelled at him with the last of my strength to yank it harder, to stop all my blood from pumping out onto the prehistoric forest floor. He'd been terrified, whimpering that he didn't know what to do, but he did exactly as I asked, when I asked it, without hesitation. With sure hands he'd secured the belt and bound my wounds, on my leg, chest, and neck, with strips of his own shirt. Then I'd told him to undo the belt a little, just enough so my leg didn't fucking fall off.

In his fear he'd been braver than anyone I'd ever known.

When I'd stopped barking orders at him through the haze of agony, punctuated with as much swearing as I'd issued in a year, and once I thought I might not actually die, my body gave up the fight and switched off the lights.

I wondered how long I'd been out for. I was starving, but we'd been pretty hungry before the raptor stumbled across us. We'd somehow been tossed through a different anomaly to the one everyone else had walked through (and Connor hadn't stopped going on about it, which was getting a little annoying, and it took a lot for the lad to annoy me, given how much I liked him) but the upshot was that we were alone, and the anomaly had been gone.

We'd concentrated on making shelter and finding water for most of the first day, and one small rodent dug out of its hole doesn't go far between two. Connor had been scared, of course he had, I could see it in his eyes, but he did what I asked then, too, and everything had been going as well as I could hope for. Other than an anomaly home opening in front of us, of course.

Then the raptor had appeared - alone, not expecting to find two humans by the river. I was rather proud of that; we'd covered our scent with pungent plant oils as soon as we could. I'd only had time to pull out my knife and stand in front of Connor before the thing leapt, shrieking. I took out its throat with one slash, desperate to stop it from calling its mates. It had certainly shut it up, and killed the fucking beast at the same time, but not before it had sunk one claw into my thigh, renting me open without effort.

We'd fallen together to the ground, the creature twitching and bleeding everywhere, and I'd not been much different. That's when I started yelling at Connor to help me.

And there he was. Still with me, taking care of me, it appeared. We had good shelter and a fire. I could smell something cooking, and it was fucking wonderful. Fish? Fuck, nice one. Despite the pain, I was positively euphoric at the circumstance I had woken to.

Connor Temple, even miserable as hell, was a sight for sore eyes.

And yes, even my eyes were sore. I think the raptor had given me a black eye, judging by the feel of it and my bad vision. I hadn't even noticed at the time.

I was thirsty, too, and could see Connor's water bottle at his hip. I cleared my throat.

Connor whirled around, and his eyes settled on mine.

“Tom,” he whispered.

I risked cracking a smile. It only half-worked, with one cheek pressed to the cool ground, but it was enough to have him scrambling to my side in an instant.

“Don't move.”

“I'm not moving.” It felt strange to speak. My throat didn't work too well, but it sounded intelligible enough.

He crouched down to look at me. I was in the fucking recovery position. It was almost humiliating. But even that thought was driven from my mind by the look in his eyes. His big brown eyes were shining, bright and close to tears. They were red-rimmed, as if maybe he'd cried them all already.

“Connor,” I breathed, desperate to comfort him, tell him everything would be okay.

I just wasn't sure it would be.

He sniffed, and blinked, rubbing the back of his hand roughly over his nose and mouth. “I thought you were going to die. I thought I'd lost you. You lost so much blood, you were hardly breathing...”

Fuck it. I pushed myself up on one arm, and it felt okay. I was soon propped up on the other and able to reach out and touch him. It shocked him, but I didn't care.

“Oh my god, don't try and move!”

“It's okay. Hey, Connor, look at me. I'm not dead.”

I'm not sure my overall appearance was any comfort to him, but he focussed on my hand on his, took a deep breath, and calmed down.

He looked up at me and smiled, a wide, anxious, happy smile that hit me in the guts. “You're awake,” he squeaked.

“Now he notices,” I drawled, and tried to sit up.

Connor flapped a bit, but he moved in and helped me, surprisingly strong arms getting me comfortable as he clucked and sniffed.

Finally resting with my back against the cave wall, and ignoring my leg which was definitely throbbing now, I found myself looking into his worried face again. I couldn't help it... I reached out and brushed the hair from his forehead, my half smile back again. It probably looked more terrifying than reassuring, but what the hell.

“Thank you, Conn.”

He looked like he was about to burst into tears again, and I frowned. “Are you okay, Connor?” Shit, I hadn't even stopped to check if he had been injured. Anything could have happened since I left the building.

He nodded frantically, still sniffing. “I'm okay. Really I am. I'm just so happy you're awake.”

The poor lad was probably afraid of being all alone in an unfamiliar and dangerous time. Not that I was any good at protecting him now. I wondered for the first time where my gun was, and looked around.

“Your gun is over there, and your knife. I haven't touched them. Well, only to move them, and make you comfortable.”

“Thank you, Connor,” I croaked. “For everything.”

He looked pleased, gamely giving me another smile. “I made a fire.”

“Nice work,” I nodded. “Any sign of the anomaly?”

His face crumpled, and he unfolded himself from his haunches and sat down beside me. “Nope. We're stuck here. What's going to happen, Tom?” He looked at me forlornly, and glanced down at my leg.

I allowed myself to look at his bare chest, visible under his loose waistcoat. His shirt was torn to pieces and holding my leg together, the blood seeped through and staining the white cotton. It looked ugly, but the bleeding seemed to have stopped. I didn't want to undo the bandage until we were home, and the sooner the better.

“I don't know, Conn.”

Maybe I shouldn't have told him the truth. But Connor suddenly threw his arms around my neck and hung on tight. It made a pain shoot down my leg, but I bit my tongue and gasped, shocked into curling my arms around Connor and hugging him back.

He was shaking a little, and I felt as desperate as he did, to be honest. I buried my face in his hair and took a deep breath, relaxing against him and allowing the pain to subside.

It felt pretty good to have my arms around Connor. I'd thought about getting this close to him now and again, but I hadn't imagined it in these circumstances.

“I'm sorry,” he choked, muffled in my neck.

I frowned, and slid my hand over his back to comfort him. “What for, Connor?”

He pulled back, and it was colder without him pressed against me. “I'm making such a mess of everything, and you need me, and -”

I pressed my hand to his thigh, the nearest part of him I could reach easily. “Stop that. You've been brilliant. And yes, I need you.”

He smiled hesitantly, and I noticed his eyes track left a little. “Sorry I hit you, then.”

I blinked, felt the black eye more acutely. “Huh?”

He shrugged. “I had to get you into the cave, but you were out of it. You can punch pretty hard when you're delirious, mate.”

“Shit. Sorry, Conn.”

He grinned. “But I'm faster than you when you're semi-conscious.”

I touched my tender cheek. “I forgive you. Is that fish I smell?”

“Uh huh. Nearly done, I reckon. God, I hope it's edible. I'm only guessing we're in the Jurassic.”

“We got way closer to that fucking monster than I'd like for classification purposes, Conn. I trust you. Let's eat the damn fish.”

He looked happy at that, glanced guiltily at my leg, and moved back to the fire.

I leaned my head back against the cave wall and shut my eyes for a moment. I only opened them again when I heard him coming back. He offered me a piece of fish on a leaf, and I took it, my hands only shaking slightly.

“Thank you. This is great.”

Even in the fading light, I could see him blush. He shrugged, smiled, and sat down beside me to eat his own fish.

Fuck, it tasted good. I was so hungry. My moans of delight earned me some embarrassed glances from my companion.

“Water?” he asked hesitantly, passing me the water bottle.

“You know the way to a man's heart, Connor Temple,” I grinned, and took the water bottle.

He flushed a brighter red, and I could see him watching my Adam's apple as I swallowed some water.

I was completely exhausted after our supper, though, and could barely lift a hand as Connor took back the water bottle. “Bury the bones, yeah?”

He nodded, silently. “Get some rest.”

I nodded back, even more grateful.

~

I woke in the night, shaking and clammy. I wasn't quite out of it, but close.

Fuck.

“Connor,” I whispered, almost involuntarily, seeking his presence. I was _afraid._

I felt his slight body press up against me and hold me. “It's okay, Tom. I'm here.” He sounded nervous, as if his declaration might not be as comforting as it was meant to be.

He was wrong. I rolled towards him and clung to him, my mind clouded by pain. “Don't let go,” I mumbled, trying to ride out the ache in my leg that had woken me.

Not infected yet, perhaps. Thank fuck.

“I won't,” he murmured back, cradling my head and rubbing soothing circles on my back.

We lay like that for some time, until I could feel my leg return to a bearable state. He must have felt me relax.

“Will I stay?” he whispered, moving slightly.

I held him as tight as before. “Please.”

He nodded, and settled back against me.

~

When Cutter and Stephen found us, Connor wasn't the only one with tears in his eyes.

We must have been a right fucking sight - filthy, ragged and bleeding, with stubble you could scrub spuds with.

I'd have thought Connor would be jumping up and down with excitement when they called from the mouth of the cave, gone running to them and whooped with joy, but he didn't.

He turned to me, dropped his fishing line, hurried across and hugged me.

I could feel him trembling with relief.

“We're going to make it,” he sobbed softly. “You'll be okay.”

Pulling back, he looked into my eyes. His own were bright and happy.

“Thanks to you,” I responded, squeezing his arms as his hands were still on my waist. We'd lost all embarrassment of closeness in that cave.

We'd needed each other.

And in that moment, he saw what was in my eyes all along, and he blinked in sudden surprise. Then he grinned, and slowly pressed a soft kiss to my dry lips.

I smiled back at him. Yes, we would both be okay.

Connor, smiling back at me, raised his voice. “I hope you have a stretcher, guys.”

Stephen's voice was right behind him. “Yep. And it's time to go.”

~


End file.
